What Is Fast Internet Connection? Everything You Should Know

According to MYMOVE statistics, 39% of individuals transfer internet providers or upgrade their existing subscriptions during their relocation. We also know that, in addition to price, internet speed is one of the most important factors to consider when looking for new internet service.

However, unlike pricing (which you can clearly grasp the influence on your monthly budget), internet speed may be a more difficult data point for individuals to decipher.

What is a decent internet speed, you may wonder? What does it mean to have “fast” internet? What internet speed do I really require? Is it truly necessary for me to spend an extra $20 per month for those extra 100 Mbps? What exactly does Mbps stand for?

Don't be concerned. We're here to help you cut through the internet speed nonsense. Here is an easy-to-understand resource from MYMOVE to help you choose which plan is ideal for you if you are looking for a new internet service provider.

What to Look for When Choosing an Internet Connection

According to John Dilley of highspeedinternet.com, internet speed should be compared to water pressure.

“It all comes down to how much volume moves in a particular period of time,” Dilley writes. As a result, the higher the water pressure when you take a hot shower, the more water traveling through your pipes each second.

The internet is the same way. The internet speed is the amount of data (measured in bits) transmitted over an internet connection per second. As a result, internet speeds are commonly expressed in bits per second (bps).

When looking for new internet plans, you'll find that the prefixes k, M, and G are commonly used (listed from slowest to fastest). These prefixes are used to specify how many thousands of bits are transmitted per second over that internet connection.

The greater the number of bits, the faster the transmission. Here's how it works:

• “k” = 1,000 bits

• “M” = 1,000k (or, one million bps)

• “G” = 1,000M (or, one billion bps)

Due to current consumer internet demands, most providers will most likely provide speeds in the Mbps range. Kbps rates are slower than the FCC's minimum speeds. As a result, most providers do not deliver kbps speeds. Gbps speeds are considered ultra-fast, yet they are still scarce.

When considering new internet plans to increase speed, keep in mind that speed increments of 15 to 25 Mbps are unlikely to result in a perceptible improvement in performance. Larger increases, like 10 to 100 Mbps, can provide a completely different experience.

Upload Speed vs. Download Speed

When looking for new plans, you'll most likely find two speeds stated in the description - a "download speed" and an "upload speed." Don't be overwhelmed by the many statistics, but do grasp the distinctions. Here's what you should know:

Download Speed

How fast your internet connection can obtain info from the internet (web pages, videos, photos, etc.). For example, if you use your computer to watch YouTube videos, it is the speed at which the video loads on your computer.

Upload Speed

The speed with which your connection can transfer data from your devices to the internet. To return to the YouTube example, upload speed is the amount of time it takes you to submit that lovely video of your dog wailing the Star-Spangled Banner. Fido is bound to go viral. Because upload speed is only noticeable when attempting to transfer huge files, download speed is far more significant for the ordinary user. It is common for your upload speed to be one-tenth that of your download speed.

Returning to the government rules, the FCC has established a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. According to the FCC, this is the minimum broadband required for typical internet use.

What Constitutes a "Good" Internet Speed?

With the FCC's requirement in mind, most speeds of 25 Mbps or above may be deemed "excellent." According to Allconnect.com, these speeds will accommodate the majority of online activities, including HD streaming, online gaming, web surfing, and music downloads.

However, high internet connections (100+ Mbps) are generally preferable, especially if you want your internet connection to accommodate numerous devices and users at the same time.

An upload speed of 3 Mbps should be sufficient for virtually everyone nowadays, assuming the connection is of excellent quality and has few or no disruptions.

What is a "Fast" Internet Connection?

Internet download rates of 100 Mbps or above are commonly regarded as fast internet since they can manage many online activities for multiple people at the same time without severe service disruptions. Upload rates of 10 Mbps or above are typically regarded as fast since they can easily accommodate the average user's upload activity.

Cable and fiber-optic internet connections, according to Allconnect, are your best chance for high internet speeds. According to Allconnect, fiber-optic is also the most consistent since it is less likely to slow down during high demand.

AT&T, CenturyLink, Cox, Frontier Fiber, Optimum, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, XFINITY, and Windstream are some of the most popular cable or fiber-optic internet services providers.

Many of these providers, according to Allconnect, provide speeds ranging from 940 to 1,000 Mbps in some locations. XFINITY is presently the only service offering download speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps.

What is the quickest form of internet?

The fastest internet connections are cable and fiber-optic. Fiber-optic internet is believed to be the most constant with its high speeds of the two forms of internet service. During busy times, cable internet speeds may disconnect frequently, but fiber-optic internet speeds remain constant.

Internet type --- Speed range

Cable --- Up to 100 Mbps

Dial-up --- Up to 56 Kbps

DSL --- Up to 200 Mbps

Fiber-optic --- Up to 2,000 Mbps

Fixed wireless --- Up to 100 Mbps

Satellite --- Up to 100 Mbps

What kind of internet speed do I require?

All of these definitions are useful, but you might be wondering, "How fast does the internet at my new house have to be?" You're looking at all of these different speed ranges and pricing points and wondering, "How do I choose?"

Here are some factors to think about when it comes to internet speed:

Users of the Internet

How many people could be connected to the internet at the same time? This is an important consideration, especially during high usage periods, such as in the morning before work or towards the end of the day. If it's just you, don't worry. If you have a house full of people clamoring to connect, you may want to pay for a package with 100+ Mbps.

Internet Activity Types

Different internet activities consume varying amounts of bandwidth. Do your family members mostly use the internet for social media and email? Or have you cut the cable cord and instead watch TV using video streaming services?

The FCC provides some basic guidelines on internet activity and the required speeds:

• 1 Mbps for general surfing, email, and social networking.

• Streaming music: 2 Mbps

• 3-4 Mbps for gaming

• Video calls: 0.5 Mbps for standard definition personal video calls, 1.5 Mbps for high definition personal video calls, and 6 Mbps for high definition video teleconferencing.

• 3-4 Mbps for normal definition, 5-8 Mbps for HD, and 25 Mbps for Ultra HD video streaming

• File download speed: 10 Mbps

So, when is it worthwhile to splurge for the fast 100+ Mbps connection? When you have a house full of video streaming, Zoom users, video gamers, and work-from-home conference callers, the increased price pays off.

If you live alone or don't perform many of the above online activities, you may retain your current internet speed (25 Mbps or more) and divert some money in your budget.

Bottom Line

So, what exactly is a decent internet speed? Speeds of 25 Mbps or greater are typically considered adequate, but you must consider the number of devices being accessed, the number of individuals accessing these devices, and the sorts of online activity. If these three variables are not taken into account when choosing your internet connection, a faster speed might easily be regarded as slow.